It made speaking with him easier as well.
“Does the tribe truly think I have magic?”
He shrugged a massive shoulder. “Some probably do. They’re ignorant. Not everyone has had dealings with humans.”
It was a thoughtful reply…for an orc. Though the village around us was bustling with orcs, it felt like there was no one there but Kof and me. And I realized I could finally exhale.
Kof led me into the sulfurous caves. The guards saluted him as we entered and the damp warmth of the caverns settled intomy bones. My cramped muscles eased. “When did you last eat?” Kof asked.
That depended. How long had I been in the box? “It’s been a while,” I admitted.
“Then you’d better get your strength up for the hunt.” He walked me to a crude kitchen and handed me a round of flatbread, still warm. My stomach twisted in eagerness from the smell of it, and I had to pace myself to keep from swallowing it whole and choking on it.
What game was Kof playing—first clothing, now food? I didn’t question this sort of generosity from Bess. She was human. But what was the orc really after?
Whatever it was, I’d have to figure out how to use it to my advantage. “Why am I your responsibility?”
After some thought, Kof said, “Something doesn’t feel right. And if everyone is busy hunting for witches, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the real danger.” He measured me with a glance and added, “And if you are a witch, I will deal with you myself.”
I gave my head a rueful shake. “Believe you me, if I had the power, I wouldn’t be here now.” And Pilgrim would be long dead.
Boots rang on stone and another orc strode into the kitchen—the big brute of a shaman I’d seen at the welcome feast. Kof made to kneel, and the shaman said, “Forget about that, we need to ready ourselves for the hunt!”
Bloodlust gleamed in the shaman’s eyes as he ran through all the preparations he’d require. This hunt was a huge undertaking, and he’d be accompanied by a hand-picked contingent of his honor guard.
“We’ll travel lean,” he said, “and cover our scent. But every man should still bring enough rations to last a week, and a backup weapon.”
“What about me?” I blurted out, and the shaman looked at me as if a wooden keg had just spoken. “Do I get a weapon? I’m a pretty good shot with a crossbow.”
Kof gave me a level look. “It’s one thing to trust a wild animal not to bite you…and another to shove your hand in its mouth.”
A wild animal, huh? I supposed it was a step up from the chieftain’s “it.”
I trailed along with Kof as he organized his men. I marveled at how calm and methodical he was…and did my best not to compare him to the last captain I’d served.
Mycaptain.
But he’d been a big, strapping, wide-shouldered man, too.
And his leadership was nowhere near as good as Kof’s.
There were no portholes to monitor the daylight deep in the caves, but my internal time told me we worked well into the night preparing for the hunt. The honor guards seemed eager for something to kill. I was thankful that “something” wasn’t me. Especially given the way some of them warded me off with gestures the minute they were on Kof’s blind side.
“You will bed down in my chamber,” Kof informed me as I finished packing up the last of his supplies. An unwelcome thrill stirred deep inside me. And then he added, “And I’m a light sleeper—so don’t try anything foolish.”
Indeed.
The cavern Kof called home was big by anyone’s standards, but stalagmites jutted up from the floor at odd intervals and the ceiling sloped off at cockeyed angles. But the space looked surprisingly…homy.
“You have furniture,” I blurted out.
He seemed surprised I’d even noticed, or cared. “It belonged to the old shaman. It had to be stored somewhere to keep it out of Droko’s way.”
Everything had been made with care. Shelving, tables, chairs, and even a cushioned divan. “He was a cripple,” Kof said gruffly.
Ah. No wonder it was all so low to the ground it wouldn’t have looked out of place at any of the human ports I’d traveled through.
“Sleep now,” he commanded. “We’ll get an early start tomorrow.”
